Pocket tooth brush



Sept. 9, 1958 J. L. PELLETI ER POCKET TOOTH BRUSH Filed June- 29, 1956 A I r mlubmmzllhmllllll,

I INVENTOR- JZ. Ezzzzzzm ATTORNEYS United States Patent Ofifice 2,850,753, Patented Sept. 9, 1958 POCKET TOOTH BRUSH Joseph L. Pelletier, Montreal, Quebec, Canada Application June 29, 1956, Serial No. 594,773

1 Claim. (Cl. 15-185) The present invention relates to pocket tooth brushes, and more particularly to such devices which can be folded to reduce the overall bulk thereof.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a pocket tooth brush which is complete having a handle, a brush portion, and a supply of dentifrice which can be detached from the handle and applied to the brush.

Another object of the invention is to provide a pocket tooth brush in which the brush portion can be folded into the handle when it is desired to store the device in the pocket.

A further object of the invention is to provide a tooth brush of the class described in which ventilation openings are provided in the handle to ventilate the brush portion when stored therein.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a pocket tooth brush having a combination pocket clip and brush retaining spring for maintaining the brush in open position.

Another object of the invention is to provide a pocket tooth brush which is inexpensive to manufacture, simple to use, and compact in its folded form.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent in the following specification when considered in the light of the attached drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the invention with the brush shown in open position.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the invention with the brush shown in closed position.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal cross-section taken of the device with the brush in open position.

Figure 4 is a transverse cross-section taken along the line 4-4 of Figure 3, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the locking spring for holding the brush in closed position.

Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein like reference numerals indicate like parts throughout the several figures, the reference numeral indicates generally a pocket tooth brush constructed in accordance with the invention.

The pocket tooth brush 10 comprises a tubular handle portion 11 have opposite open ends 12 and 13, and slotted longitudinally as at 14 from a point adjacent to but spaced from the open end 13 through the open end 12. The tubular handle 11 is provided with a plurality of ventilating openings 15 extending through the sides thereof to ventilate the internal portions of the tubular handle 11.

A cylindrical body 16 is positioned within the tubular handle 11 adjacent the end 13 thereof and is provided with a threaded bore 17 extending axially thereof opening outwardly away from the end 12 of the tubular body 11. The opposite end of the cylindrical body 16 has an opening 18 extending axially therein for receiving a locking spring 19 therein as illustrated in Figure 3. The locking spring 19 has a detent 20 formed thereon to secure the locking spring 19 within the opening 18.

A cylindrical body 21 extends into the open end 12 of the tubular handle 11 and is secured therein. The cylindrical body 21 is bifurcated as at 22 and is provided with a longitudinally extending slot 23 extending completely therealong and communicating with the bifurcated portion 22.

A plate 24 is provided with a plurality of bristles 25 along one face thereof and has a shank terminating in a disk-like extension 26 which is positioned within the bifurcation 22 and pivotally secured therein by pivot pin 27. The disk-like member 26 is provided with opposite detent recesses 28 and 29, for reasons to be assigned.

A spring pocket clip 30 is secured to the body 21 by means of securing elements 31, as seen in Figure 3, and has a spring retaining arm 32 extending integrally outwardly therefrom and engaging in the detent recesses 29 and 28 securing the plate 24 in opened position, as illustrated in Figure 3, and in closed position, as illustrated in Figure 2.

The outer end of the plate 24 is provided with a detent recess 33, as illustrated in Figure 3, which is adapted to engage over the detent portion 34 of the spring 19, as seen in Figure 3, to assist in securing the plate 24 in closed position.

A flexible plastic dentifrice container 35 is secured to a threaded nozzle member 36 by any suitable conventional means and the threaded nozzle 36 is adapted to be threadedly engaged in the threaded bore 17 to secure the dentifrice container 35 to the body 16, and hence to the tubular handle 11.

In the operation of the invention, the plate 24 is locked in open or closed position by means of the detent recesses 28 and 29, and the detent arm 32, with the spring 19 and its detent portion 34 assisting in holding the plate 24 in closed position.

The container 35 can be removed from the body 16 by unscrewing the nozzle 36 from the threaded bore 17 so that dentifrice can be dispensed onto the bristles 25 by squeezing the flexible container 35 in the usual manner. The dentifrice container 35 can be refilled or replaced as required to maintain the tooth brush 10 ready for use.

Having thus described the preferred embodiment of the invention, it should be understood that numerous structural modifications and adaptations may be resorted to without departing from the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A pocket tooth brush comprising an elongated tubular handle, said handle having a longitudinally extending elongated aperture formed in one side thereof, a plate, tooth brush bristles mounted in said plate, a bifurcated body secured in one end of said handle, a disk formed on said plate engaging in the bifurcated portion of said body, means pivotally securing said disk to said body, said plate being movable from a position aligned with said handle to a position with said bristles enclosed within said handle and said plate closing said aperture in said 3 handle, said disk having a pair of oppositely disposed detent notches formed therein, an elongated spring member, means rigidly securing said spring member to said body, a detent formed on said spring member for selectively engaging in said detent notches locking said plate in open and in closed position, a pocket clip integrally formed on the end of said spring member opposite said detent, said plate having a detent notch formed therein at the end thereof opposite said disk, and a spring detent supported in said tubular handle for engaging in said last named detent notch for releasably locking said plate in said aperture.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

